


Beyond Rendezvous

by suezahn



Series: Kismet [12]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Bounty Hunters, F/M, Love, Rescue, Romance, Separation Anxiety, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 13:37:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12508624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suezahn/pseuds/suezahn
Summary: Following events on Bespin, Leia has to make some tough decisions while working to rescue Han.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters depicted herein are the property of Lucasfilm, Disney, etc. My only profit is in the form of readers' feedback. Please be generous!
> 
> Note: This story was originally written in 2008 and has now be revised and updated for consistency with the rest of the Kismet Series. A very special thank-you to my lovely proofreaders: Erin Darroch and Marjorie Joyce.

At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one’s lost self.

—Brendan Francis

* * *

 

A metallic clang and subsequent whoosh of pressurized air echoed throughout the Millennium Falcon as the freighter docked against the side of the Rebel Alliance medical frigate _Mercy_. The haunting sound seemed to complement Leia Organa’s mood as she sat at the Falcon’s navigator’s station, observing in silence as Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian shut down the engines of the aging starship.

In fact, their entire trip back from Bespin could have been summed up with that one word: silence. Mournful, unaccepting, unforgiving silence.

Leia’s gaze shifted upward to the canopy overhead to study the pitiful collage of starships that had likewise struggled to the rendezvous point. She was still waiting for the old familiar urgency—that sense of duty, that rebellious fervor—to return, but nothing stirred within her. The usual enthusiasm she’d worn like a protective cloak had been stripped away, leaving her bare to the realities of what her life was becoming—a series of events at once painful and numbing. She did feel some pity, but whether it was for her fellow rebels, the rest of the galaxy, or just herself, she couldn’t decide.

Hadn’t she always known that Han Solo would have to leave at some point, possibly forever? As they’d grown to know one another, this fact had remained lodged in the back of her mind and she’d convinced herself of being fully prepared. How could she have known that it wouldn’t be enough, that the very nature of how he’d been ripped from her life would leave such a massive void in his wake, a wound no amount of Bacta could heal? Despite their differences, he’d always been there for her when she needed him, to comfort and to test her. Too late she’d realized how his teasing and laughter had served in one way or another to keep her occupied—keep her human!—in a war that was reducing everyone to mere statistics.

Step by step, she was losing everything that meant anything to her: her world, her family, her career, and now Han. She wasn’t even sure anymore that she still had Luke Skywalker, that other pillar of her rebuilt life following the destruction of Alderaan. The young man was resting in the rudimentary medical bay in the Falcon’s crew’s quarters, occasionally coherent but at other times mumbling insane-sounding statements she didn’t understand. It was obvious from his battered appearance and behavior that he’d suffered some emotional as well as physical damage in his confrontation with Darth Vader, and while she was sure his amputated hand could be replaced, she wasn’t so sure what could be done about the rest….

Chewbacca rose from his seat to continue with shutting down the starship’s systems. Leia studied his huge frame as he flipped switches with practiced ease. Perhaps the Wookiee’s silence was the most noticeable, at least when compared to the boisterous companion she’d lived with during their month-long sublight voyage through the Anoat system before reaching Bespin. She could only guess how Chewie felt after being forced to watch as his best friend, to whom he’d sworn a Life Debt, was condemned to a living purgatory in a block of carbonite. She wanted to cry for them both right now so he could see he wasn’t alone in bearing the weight of guilt, but her tears only seemed to come at night when dreams, both good and bad, haunted her.

Leia’s slender fingers dug into the black cushioned armrests of her chair. “Why?!” she breathed in an intense whisper. Startled by the sound of her own voice, she saw Chewbacca and Lando pause and glance back toward her, their gaze curious and concerned. Embarrassed, she stared in determination at the forward control panel. Is this what it feels like to go mad?

She needed to get a grip on her emotions. After all, their situation wasn’t hopeless—daunting, yes, but not insurmountable. Now that they were back within friendly territory, Luke would receive the best medical treatment available, they could regroup and form a search party to recover Han, and she would…do whatever it was she would have to do to cope in the meantime. Now was not the time to fall apart—not when everyone needed her, Han in particular. Now was when she needed that infamous stiff Organa backbone the most.

It was all Leia could do not to leap out of her seat when a huge hand gripped on her shoulder, breaking into her thoughts.

«We’re here. Will you be okay?» Chewie asked with a soft bark.

Leia’s fluency in Shyriiwook had increased significantly during her immersive exposure since fleeing Hoth, but then Chewie’s expression needed little translation. “Yes, I’ll be fine,” she answered, doubting she would ever be fine again. “Let’s go.”

Rising to her feet, she followed Chewie as he cycled open the cockpit hatch.


	2. Chapter 2

Because Leia had communicated ahead of their arrival, a medical team with a gurney was waiting as she and Luke emerged from the _Falcon_ ’s top hatch and into the small docking station aboard the Mercy. The only other member of their welcoming committee was a very relieved-looking General Carlist Rieekan. The general stepped forward, his usually stoic face showing surprise and alarm as his blue eyes met hers before surveying the injured man at her side. “Your Highness…Commander Skywalker? We’re very relieved to have all of you back.”

Leia deliberately ignored the “all of you” and responded in a voice that sounded far more exhausted than she’d intended: “Thank you, General.”

“It’s okay, I can walk on my own,” Luke mumbled in an equally weary voice as he waved off the assistance of the medics who’d moved forward and were attempting to load him onto the gurney. Then he turned toward the general. “Thank you, sir.”

Leia tried to read Luke’s expression as she maintained hold of his uninjured arm, but once again she failed. It had been like that for their entire trip home, a new development that had done nothing to ease her heartbreak or concern. Reluctant to let him go just yet, she instead gave a quick squeeze to his arm to get his attention. “You’ll do everything they tell you to do, that’s an order. I need to talk with General Rieekan for a moment, but I’ll be along to check up on you as soon as I can. Okay?”

Luke nodded with a sigh. “Sure, Leia.”

Threepio and Artoo emerged next, just in time to follow along behind as the medical team escorted Luke away, their excited chatter and beeps and whistles echoing behind them. Leia’s gaze lingered on them until Luke disappeared around a bend in the corridor, then she turned back to Rieekan.

Worry for Rieekan’s well-being had plagued her since their escape from the Imperial attack of the rebel base on Hoth; he’d gone out onto the field of battle to lead the final retreat, and Han had pulled her away before she could confirm his own escape. Rieekan was a fellow Alderaani and family friend from when he’d served on Bail Organa’s advisory staff. Since the destruction of Alderaan, he’d also become somewhat of a surrogate father; his familiar craggy face was one of the few remaining ties to her past and she was very happy to see it.

Never one for protocol, Rieekan stepped forward and pulled her into a hug, then held her in front of him. “We’ve all been very worried about you. No one had heard a word about you for nearly a standard month. All we knew was that most of the Imperial fleet broke ranks, including Vader’s flagship, to chase after the Falcon.”

“It’s a long story,” Leia said, not even knowing how to begin. She and Han had spent time speculating on that very question during their trip but had never reached a satisfying conclusion, although events since her encounter with Darth Vader afterward had seeded some strange ideas in her head that she didn’t want to contemplate. “We don’t really understand why they did that.”

“Well, you’ll have to brief me later. All I do know is that Captain Solo’s distraction allowed most of our ships and troops to escape. He saved a lot of lives that day.”

Leia felt her face grow warm and struggled with the emotions those words brought up. Han had risked everything to save her, and as a result, his past had finally caught up with him; the guilt from that alone shadowed her nights. To learn now that his actions had such a wide impact made her ache with pride.

Rieekan must have noticed the change in her expression because his eyes narrowed. However, he was distracted as the platform behind her rose once more to reveal a tall Wookiee and a swarthy man still dressed in blue and gray civilian garb. “Welcome back, Chewbacca.” Then he turned his attention to the new member of her entourage, showing some hesitancy at the unknown face. “And you are?”

“Baron Lando Calrissian,” Lando supplied, his air of a smooth operator returning as he reached out to shake hands. “Former baron. I was the recent administrator of Cloud City on Bespin. I’m an old friend of Captain Solo’s.”

“Oh, the Tibanna gas mining colony.” Rieekan nodded his head in recognition. “Your presence here might explain the recent news that our underground supply was cut off. I take it the Empire discovered some inconsistency in your accounts?”

“I was getting tired of it, anyway,” Lando responded with a rueful grin.

Rieekan nodded, now clearly intrigued by whatever events had led to the addition of this man to their group. “Welcome aboard.”

Rieekan looked expectantly toward the lift as if awaiting the arrival of the Falcon’s captain, then realized something was wrong and looked back to Leia.

She swallowed and straightened her shoulders in an attempt to steel herself. “Captain Solo isn’t with us. Vader resorted to hiring a bounty hunter who tracked us to Bespin. Han was taken away for the price on his head.”

Rieekan took a long moment to absorb this news, his expression the familiar sabacc face of a military leader used to hiding any personal emotions. Then he glanced up to meet Chewbacca’s silent gaze to confirm the story. Chewie let out a series of soft barks and deep chirps, but Rieekan could only shake his head, unable to understand.

“He wishes to leave to rescue Han as soon as he knows Luke will be okay,” she translated.

“Of course,” Rieekan nodded.

“Thank you, General.”

Leia motioned to the general, beckoning him to the side for a quick private word. He followed her and ducked down since he stood a head taller. “I promise I’ll fill you in on everything as soon as I can,” she offered, “but right now I want to be with Luke, if that’s okay. He’s been through a lot and I’m worried about him.”

Rieekan nodded with a comforting smile. “I completely understand. The medical ward is on the central deck. We’ve also arranged quarters for you on the deck above, and your personal effects are already being moved from storage. I can also arrange quarters for the baron, if you’d like.”

She gave a gracious shake of the head. “That won’t be necessary. I’m sure he’d prefer to stay on the Falcon. Lando’s planning to join in the search.”

“Leia…about this Lando fellow….”

“He’s on our side…but feel free to run a security check anyway.” She’d had the entire return trip to come to terms with the impossible choice Vader had forced Lando to make days ago, but nonetheless Leia knew little about his history. Han, tight-lipped as usual about his past, had given only a tantalizing glimpse of their history before events went sour. She had no doubt his background was shady, but even Han had stated that the man was no Imperial sympathizer. After the events in Cloud City, he certainly had reason to hold a grudge if he hadn’t before.

“We’ll do that.” Rieekan paused as he looked down at her with his old paternal smile. “It’s good to see you again. We’ve a lot to catch up on. Come find me when you’re ready.”

“I will,” she promised.


	3. Chapter 3

The medical droid was finishing up running an initial diagnostics on Luke just as Leia, Chewie, and Lando arrived. The young man was reclining on an examination platform, hooked up to various monitors and his injured arm hidden by equipment and a draped white sheet, but he leveraged himself up on his other elbow as they entered the white, antiseptic room.

Before anybody could speak, the medical droid admonished him. “Commander Skywalker, please relax and remain still so that I may continue monitoring your progress.”

“All right,” he sighed and obeyed, gingerly lowering himself back down. Looking put out, he rolled his head on the pillow to face his visitors. “Did I miss anything important?”

Leia shook her head as she stepped up to him and rested a hand on his good arm. “Just introductions. You’re looking much better already. How are you feeling?”

“These pain blockers are helping. Two-One-Bee here says they’re already working on a replacement hand. It should be ready later today.” The enthusiasm he’d mustered seemed to leak away after the mention of the prosthetic, despite his valiant smile.

Leia tried to buoy his mood a bit more. “You’ll be back to normal in no time.”

He snorted a little at this, a hint of cynicism entering his voice, sounding incongruous with the upbeat Luke she’d always known. “Normal? I wouldn’t go that far….”

Mortified by her gaffe, Leia reached out to press her hand to his cheek. “I’m sorry, Luke. You know what I mean.” It was so difficult to know how to deal with this new, moodier Luke, and it was becoming so clear now that all of them and everything had changed in the past month since fleeing Echo Base on Hoth.

Luke nodded in acceptance and then changed the topic as he glanced over to Chewie and Lando, both of whom were hovering in the background awaiting their chance to greet him. “How’s the Falcon?”

«She’s in much better shape now,» Chewie answered. «She was very damaged after Hoth.»

Lando added, “I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d have my best techs work on fixing her up. She’s purring like a Trixian kitten now.”

“That’s great news. We’ll need her in peak condition when we go after Han.”

“You want to help us?” Leia asked, not surprised so much as grateful.

“Of course—you had to ask?”

She gave him an easy smile and squeezed his hand. “I didn’t want to assume, between your duties with Rogue Squadron, your Jedi training, and now this injury….”

Before Luke could respond, Lando took a deep breath as if preparing for battle and interrupted. “Well, actually, Chewie and I have been talking and we’ve both agreed that the two of us should start out right now. The longer we delay in following Boba Fett’s trail, the colder it’ll get. We’re planning to leave in a couple of hours, as soon as we’ve resupplied.”

“But….” The bombshell of an announcement made Leia turn her full attention on Calrissian. “I thought we’d agreed to do this together!” She shot an accusing look at Chewbacca, who appeared torn by the decision but had the good sense to keep quiet and out of the line of fire.

It was Luke who spoke up next, drawing her back in an attempt to placate her. “Leia, they’re absolutely right. I’m in no condition to go right now and you’ve also got responsibilities here—”

“What about my responsibility to Han? I owe him as much of a Life Debt as Chewie does. And I love him.” That last bit came out in a choked but adamant voice, the words still foreign in public and the emotions raw. If she hadn’t had Luke’s attention before, that little tidbit had the effect of flipping on a flashing beacon. His eyebrows arched up in astonishment, but otherwise, he remained silent against the storm. “You’re asking me to just sit back in the wings and do nothing?”

“Not at all, Your Highness,” Lando murmured as he tried to reason with her. “We’ll have to split up for now anyway until we can figure out exactly where Fett’s taken him. With any luck, we’ll intercept him before he reaches Jabba, but time isn’t on our side.”

She knew Lando was right, but this fact made the reality no easier to accept; it rankled her that they’d reached this change in plans without her input. Her glare focused on Lando as she forced out under her breath, “I warn you, Calrissian—if you attempt to do this without me, I will go in there on my own.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Lando looked to Chewbacca and Luke in a desperate plea for assistance. Clearly, he was still underestimating who he was dealing with; she was no weak-willed woman he could flummox with his charm, and anything but the type to be content fussing at home while the men went off to do battle.

“Relax, Leia,” Luke spoke up again, perhaps taking pity on the con man by deflecting her attention. “I’m sure they’ll contact you as soon as they have a lead. Right, Chewie?”

Chewbacca tipped his head with a furry expression that she’d grown accustomed to reading during their long trip to Bespin. Just the same, his actions said it all as he walked over and gathered her up into his arms for a reassuring hug, following up with a quiet comment: «I haven’t forgotten what Han said.»

“I know, Chewie, but that didn’t mean locking me up in a closet, either. He’d expect me to help….” Leia wanted to keep fighting, to vent all the frustration and fear flowing through her at that moment, but his comforting presence seemed to drain it all away and she finally gave a begrudged nod of acceptance. “All right, but as soon as you hear something….”


	4. Chapter 4

An hour later, after taking advantage of her new quarters to change into something—anything!—other than a white thermal suit, Leia had sought out General Rieekan. She was now seated in his office, his desk between them. She’d carefully filled him in on everything following her extraction from the Echo Base Command Center on Hoth by Captain Solo. She’d answered the general’s questions as best she could: their harrowing flight into the asteroid field, their limping journey to Bespin and into the waiting trap set by Boba Fett and Darth Vader, Vader’s unanticipated and strange tactic to lure Luke into a confrontation, Han’s interment in carbonite and their failure to stop the bounty hunter’s departure, as well as their miraculous rescue of Luke and last-minute escape from the Imperial fleet that had gathered there—in essence everything that she felt the general needed to know, or almost all of it.

There were still two glaring events left out, both so personal that she wasn’t sure how or even if she should mention them.

Leia suspected that Rieekan wouldn’t be surprised about the news of her romantic affair with Han Solo—in fact, she was pretty certain he’d be pleased, if his actions in the past were any indication. All the same, it meant once again admitting just how stubbornly wrong she’d been about his and her own motivations. That certainly didn’t belong in the official debrief records.

The other development was a personal experience so strange and intangible that she wasn’t sure how to put it into words, or even if it had just been her imagination. While she’d hoped that rehashing events now might somehow provide answers to those lingering questions, there was still something puzzling about her experiences in Cloud City. Something darker, something she wasn’t sure she wanted to understand, danced along the edge of her conscious mind. Sure, there had been the occasional uncannily prophetic dreams for years, but she’d almost convinced herself that everyone had those once in a while. But then there’d been her overall sense of foreboding during the entire flight to Bespin, and then that bizarre confrontation with Darth Vader when she’d felt what amounted to a paranormal invasion of her psyche that left her literally radiating raw fear and agony as the day had progressed. It had reached a climax when she’d done the impossible by hearing Luke’s mental cry for help as he’d dangled from the bottom of the floating city and knowing where to find him. She didn’t understand it and, to be truthful, wasn’t sure she wanted to understand it. She felt these were parts of some bigger picture too large to bring into focus.

Instead, Leia had fallen silent here, implying that she was finished with her report. She watched now as Rieekan, old-fashioned in his habit of preferring a stylus to typing, continued writing up his notes. She couldn’t tell whether he’d read between the lines because he’d remained impassive during the interrogation, his face a blank slate, but she suspected he’d noticed a change in her voice and manner whenever she referred to Captain Solo. It seemed that the only person she’d succeeded in fooling for the past year had been herself. Even her friend Keris Aldric, a fellow rebel in the Communications division, who’d said as much prior to that fateful mission to Ord Mantell, had failed to convince Leia that her own feelings toward the man were anything more than idle and futile distractions.

That reminded Leia of another worrying thought and she interrupted the silence with a question. “I haven’t seen Lieutenant Aldric yet. Is she on the Command Ship?”

Rieekan stopped writing and looked up at her, for the first time allowing a hint of emotion to show as he drew in a deep breath. “I’m very sorry, Princess. The lieutenant was scheduled to evacuate Hoth on one of the transports, but we have no confirmation that she boarded, and her transport has failed to rejoin us. There’s still a possibility that it may straggle in as the Falcon has, but right now, she’s listed as missing in action.”

Stunned back into silence as one of her fears during that languorous journey to Bespin bore bitter fruit, Leia bowed her head and looked away, afraid to show any of the mounting grief she felt. In this realm of nearly all men that was her world now, Keris had become her only close female friend. Rieekan was offering her the small hope that Keris had survived and might still return, but Leia knew it was unlikely at this point. Fighting back tears, she rubbed her eyes. As if the retelling of recent traumas hadn’t already left her drained, this latest news made her want to retreat into her cabin, curl up into a defensive ball, and never come back out. Another loved one gone, another irreplaceable loss, another part of her soul cut away.

Rieekan laid his stylus down, appearing to have finished his writing; he folded his hands together and leaned back in his chair to study her. She recognized his signal that she was now welcome to talk off the record, switching his role from military commander to personal counselor and friend.

Struggling between the conflicting instincts of remaining neutral and blurting out everything, she instead tried to redirect by volunteering, “Chewie and Lando are leaving within a few hours. We want to start searching for Captain Solo while the trail is still fresh.”

Rieekan nodded, his blue eyes not leaving hers. “Of course. I’ll make sure they get all the supplies they need.” He continued observing her in silence, then seemed to reach a conclusion as his head tipped to the side. “You’re planning to leave us and help with the rescue, aren’t you?”

He hadn’t said it as an accusation but more as a simple confirmation. Still, the first real rush of guilt swept through her upon finally hearing her silent intentions spoken aloud like that; it sounded as though she were abandoning the Alliance and her commitment to the cause. But surely they had to realize she was only human. How much more could they expect her to sacrifice?

She didn’t respond for a long moment, unable to maintain eye contact. “Eventually, once Luke has recovered. I have to.”

For the first time since they’d sat down to begin the debriefing, Rieekan allowed an abiding smile. “I’m not surprised.”

Leia looked up and opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.

“We’ve all lost loved ones in this war, Princess…some of us, too many to count.” As Rieekan elaborated, she could see the old pain of their shared loss of Alderaan emerge in his eyes. “But if you have a rare opportunity to bring one of them back, I’d be a coldhearted fool to tell you to give up on him.”

Leia almost gasped as some unconscious weight abruptly lifted from her chest. He’d understood after all. “He’d do the same for me. He already has.”

A moment later though, her eyes narrowed as she voiced the suspicion both she and Han had harbored since escaping Hoth: “You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Telling Han I was refusing to leave the Command Center? You knew he’d come rescue me if he found out I wasn’t on my transport.”

Carlist Rieekan was a master at maintaining that sabacc face, but he let it slip now, beaming at her. “Sometimes your father called me a romantic fool. He was probably right.”

Not for the first time, Leia was glad for the relationship she shared with this man. Not only was he a trusted friend, but he helped her to remember better times nearly forgotten amidst the turbulence her life had become. Although the smile she returned was weaker, it was genuine. “I don’t know how I could have been so right and yet so wrong about him.”

Rieekan’s expression eased into fatherly affection but he remained silent.

Her initial relief was tempered as she voiced her next thought. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“Take as much time as you need…but let’s hope you find him quickly.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Luke, we’re ready for takeoff,” Calrissian’s voice announced through the comlink unit in Luke’s good hand.

Skywalker had been moved to a recovery room by the time Leia returned to check on him. The room provided floor-to-ceiling portal view of the star-sprinkled space beyond and she felt drawn to it, but resisted the urge and remained by Luke’s side to watch as the medical droid made final tests and adjustments to the new prosthetic hand Luke already wore. She heard their conversation, but her thoughts were light-years away.

The few hours since their arrival at the fleet had gone too fast, and countless times during those hours, she’d contemplated stowing away aboard the Millennium Falcon, smuggling herself within the hidden chambers below the deck plates Han had shown her so they’d have no choice but to bring her along. With Luke on his way to a full recovery and Leia already finished with passing along whatever useful information she could to Rieekan, there seemed little else for her to do here, not when her heart was so far away.

“Good luck, Lando,” Luke responded through the open channel.

“When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we’ll contact you.”

“I’ll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine.”

Luke’s announcement snapped Leia’s attention away from the window. That was the first time she’d heard anything about a specific meeting place.

There was a pause before Lando’s voice came through again, this time softer. “Princess, we’ll find Han. I promise.”

«I’ll bring him back for you.»

Despite her mood, she couldn’t help a shy smile at the Wookiee’s public promise, knowing Han would have laughed at such blatant sentimentality. Luke returned her grin, not bothering to hide his amusement at her embarrassment. “Chewie, I’ll be waiting for your signal. Take care, you two. May the Force be with you.” Then he switched off the comlink and resumed smiling at her.

Although they still hadn’t discussed it, Luke seemed to have already accepted her announcement regarding her feelings for Han, and Leia found a significant measure of relief in that. She’d feared jealousy might destroy their close friendships, but if anything, Luke appeared pleased. Or maybe he’d always known, just like everyone else.

Thoughts returning once again to worry about Han, she dropped her head and moved away from Luke to stand before the expansive window behind him. Looking out past the swirled nebula in the distance, Leia imagined that somehow, despite the unknown distance between them, she could reach Han and reassure him that they hadn’t given up on him—that they would find him no matter how long it took. She closed her eyes and tried to blank her mind, desperate to re-create that same sensation from when Luke had called out to her back on Cloud City and, for some inexplicable reason, she’d heard him.

Moments later, an arm gently wrapped around her shoulders, bringing Leia back to the present. She opened her eyes and saw that Luke had gotten up from the recovery chair to stand at her side. As if hesitant to break in on her thoughts, he remained quiet and drew her a little closer. Grateful, she leaned into him, once again appreciating his undemanding companionship. They gazed out the portal in comfortable silence until the Millennium Falcon suddenly soared into view before banking and speeding away. Her brilliant blue-white afterburners blazed in the black star field as the starship shrank to a pinpoint and then disappeared.

Luke tightened his arm around her once again. “We’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

“I know,” she whispered and then hesitated, unsure of how to broach the topic but certain she should, just to clarify things for both of them. “Luke…you should know that Han and I…that we had a lot of time to work things out during that sublight trip. I do love him. And he loves me.”

Leia felt Luke shift at her side and she glanced up, worried that he might take hearing the full facts harder than she’d imagined; she was relieved to see he was smiling back down at her. “I’m really happy to hear that. Frankly, it’s about time.”

Embarrassed and chagrined, she glanced away and nodded her head. “I’ve been such a fool.”

“No, you weren’t. Han didn’t exactly make it easy for you,” Luke volunteered.

“No, he didn’t,” she admitted and they shared what felt like the first chuckle in years.

Then Luke sobered once again. “Sometimes, a person can be so convinced of one thing that…that it’s easier to just keep denying the truth, even after it’s shoved in your face. It’s easier than admitting you were wrong….”

She silently agreed, but the tone of his voice hinted that he was talking from personal experience, and she looked back up; she didn’t need to be clairvoyant to know this had to do with his own recent trauma back at Cloud City. “Are you going to tell me about what happened back there? When you fought Vader, and afterward? I don’t…I don’t understand how….”

Luke seemed to flinch at the name. The pain in his eyes now was so obvious that Leia regretted having asked, and yet she was filled with so many questions, and only he promised to have the answers. For a long moment, he looked on the verge of telling her, but then he drew a deep breath and gave a gentle shake of his blond head. “Another time. Right now we’re going to focus on getting Han back.”

Not mollified, but understanding that maybe it was just too soon, she decided to let the topic go for now and instead returned to an earlier thought, her expression hardening. “So you’re going to Tatooine? You were going to tell me this when?”

It was no doubt her change in attitude that made Luke release her shoulders and hold up his new hand in automatic defense. “Leia, I’m—I’ve lost my lightsaber. I have to go back to Ben Kenobi’s old home to see if I can replace it somehow. That’s the logical place to start.”

That made complete sense and her irritation faded, to be replaced a second later with excitement at the idea of joining him.

Luke seemed to anticipate her thoughts and shook his head. “You can’t come with me on this. It’s something I have to do alone.”

Feeling hurt and abandoned, useless, Leia asked, “And then what? Leave me here while you rendezvous with Lando?”

“Yes, eventually. I’ll meet up with him once I’m done. But we’re not just leaving you here. We’ll call you to join us the moment we find Boba Fett. We promised you that, remember?”

“I’m not kidding, Luke. If I catch on that this is part of some conspiracy to protect me—”

Luke shook his head again. “Not at all. Right now we need you here.”

She crossed her arms and gave him a dubious glare, waiting for him to explain.

“You know Han—he’s got a knack for getting himself out of tight situations. If he escapes on his own, what’s one of the first things you think he’ll do? Try to find you here. And if he does, we’d need to know about it.”

Leia agreed enough to give a single nod, but that was hardly a strong argument. “It still sounds to me like I’m just sitting here waiting for something to happen.”

Luke shook his head, allowing a hint of his own frustration to slip, as if she should have known better. “Since when have you just sat around doing nothing? You’ll be poring over every Imperial news and underground gossip channel, tapping every informant and agent from here to the Core, hitting up every smuggler involved in the Rebellion looking for tips, and calling in favors and offering a few in return. I’m willing to bet you’ll hear something long before Chewie and Lando do.”

Luke’s logical rundown had managed to take a lot of the wind out of her indignant sails, and her shoulders sagged. He was right, but the prospect did not thrill her. It was her ego that insisted she be out in the field with them, doing the hard work, taking the risks—being the first to see Han again with her own eyes. It was her heart that demanded she be out there looking for him, but it was her head that agreed with Luke. Staying here and using the tools she knew best would be the most effective use of her time.

“All right, Luke,” she conceded. “Promise me you’ll be careful. No more—” She’d been about to say “heroics” but caught herself. The disaster of his rescue mission to Bespin was still too fresh. “Just promise me.”

“I promise.”


	6. Chapter 6

The nights were the worst. During the day, Leia could immerse herself in work, much as she’d done since joining the Rebel underground back on Yavin IV. It made the hours fly by. Frustrating as the work sometimes felt, it was still better than the loneliness awaiting her back in her empty quarters. That was where the lack of distractions allowed memories and dreams, both good and bad, to fill her mind.

It had been an almost unbearable six months since Luke had flown off in a borrowed X-wing fighter, taking Artoo with him. Left with only Threepio, to whom she’d delegated as much as she could get away with to keep him out of her hair, she had indeed focused a majority of her time on her new mission.

She received regular transmissions from Luke, and although the updates held little to report, simply seeing his image and hearing his familiar voice made those coded communications a welcome distraction. There’d been no trouble determining the current whereabouts of Jabba the Hutt; both his operation and his size had become so ponderous that he more or less stayed in one place now, within some old fortress on Tatooine. Of the bounty hunter and Han Solo, however, there was no sign. After all this time, it was clear that either something tragic had happened (something she couldn’t even contemplate) or else Boba Fett had determined—from his narrow escape on Bespin—that Solo’s friends would not give up easily and he’d gone into hiding with his precious cargo to try to wait them out.

Luke had also filled her in on Lando’s decision to infiltrate the Hutt’s palace in hopes he could learn more. From that position, Lando could also possibly play a useful role when the time came to act. As of yet, however, their efforts had been fruitless and they were no closer to finding Han than they’d been half a year ago. She hadn’t given up hope, however; hope was the only thing she had left.

It was the night cycle aboard ship now and Leia had retreated to her bunk with a datapad to review some undercover agent reports from the Dantooine system, of which Tatooine was a neighbor. She’d made a valiant effort to finish reading them, but the quiet of her private quarters and her exhaustion encouraged her mind to drift, the datapad still glowing gently in the darkened room as her eyes closed.

“Sweetheart,” Han’s deep voice rumbled from below the deck plate, “hand me the number-three hydrospanner.”

She was sitting on the rim of the engine pit in the center of the Falcon’s main hold, her legs dangling down into the hole where Han was working. She twisted around and dug into the toolbox. When she found the requested tool, she turned back to discover Han had reappeared, standing on one of the struts below, his face about chest-high. There was a devilish glint in his eyes as he leaned against her shins; the combination of the physical contact and his intense gaze sent a pleasant shiver up her spine. As he reached for the hydrospanner in her hand, however, a playful impulse made her lift it up over her shoulder and out of his reach. “What are the magic words?” she asked oh-so-innocently as she returned his teasing smile.

Their growing attraction to and comfort with one another, something accelerated and then sabotaged during that mission to Ord Mantell, had returned with shocking speed following a stolen kiss while fleeing the Imperial forces following the battle on Hoth. However, there’d developed a new and far more serious theme to their flirting as they faced the prospect of a long sub-hyper trip to the nearest habitable planet of Bespin. Without a doubt, this was a far more enjoyable pastime than arguing. She was also learning to give as good as she got, discovering that the rewards could be quite satisfying.

“Hmmmm,” Han mulled over an answer as he leaned in closer. She aided and abetted, bowing toward him until he could press a kiss just below her ear. The contact made her shudder. “Do I need a requisition form for this tool, Princess?”

“Try again.”

“Permission to climb aboard, Your Worship?”

Leia let out a scandalized laugh and made a playful shove at his shoulder with her free hand. “No, and stop calling me that! Try again.”

Han leaned more heavily against her legs now, his suggestive smile intensifying as he gently coaxed her knees apart. No longer having any desire to resist, she let him. Now in her loose embrace, he was close enough that she only needed to duck her head down to meet his lips with a lingering kiss. As pleasure raced through her, she dropped her arm down with the intention of pulling him closer.

Solo took the opportunity to catch her hand and the hydrospanner within it as he broke away with a little laugh. “You’ll have to try a little harder than that.”

“I guess I’m a slow learner,” she murmured. This was the third time they’d acted out this sort of erotic routine in the past hour, each time with similar results. While it wasn’t the most efficient way to go about doing repairs, it was the most entertaining. If this was what it might be like to be a crewmember aboard the Falcon, she would have to consider a career change.

“Nah, I’d say you’re picking it up pretty fast,” Han corrected before kissing her again. He seemed as unable to resist as she was and there was a definite thrill in that knowledge.

A loud beeping sound suddenly intruded on their little game and their embrace ended. Fighting back annoyance, she tried to ignore the sound and pull Han closer, but the steady beeping crept into her brain, ruining the mood, breaking them apart.

Leia groaned as she opened her eyes to find she was still in her bunk aboard the medical frigate, very much alone. She tried to hold onto the vivid image and sensations of the memory, of Han, but the insistent beep from the intercom at her desk had shattered it. Pleasant dreams were so rare that it was all the more frustrating to have this one interrupted. Still feeling a little logy, she swung off the bunk and walked over to the tiny desk in the corner. The ID screen on the intercom flashed the Communications department from the ship’s bridge. Suddenly wide awake, she hit the mike key. “Yes?”

“Your Highness, I’m very sorry for the late call, but we’ve received an urgent transmission for your eyes only and we have instructions to notify you immediately whenever these come in.”

“Thank you. Please channel it through.” She stabbed at the off switch, spared a moment to grab a nearby robe and wrap it around her, then sank down into the chair and opened the transmission screen.

In the dimmed light of the cabin, the greenish glow of the holoplayer cast shadows through the room as Luke Skywalker’s image came into focus.

Once again Leia was struck by how much older and more serious her friend looked now. The young, starry-eyed young man she’d come to love had changed, leaving instead a man she sometimes felt she no longer knew. His training and his confrontation with Vader had left him shaken and scarred in ways far more profound than losing a hand. She couldn’t help but wonder if the whole Jedi thing was a bad idea from the start and, not for the first time, she found herself resenting the development. He’d lost his innocence and become as jaded as the rest of them, yet another tragedy in this cruel war.

“Leia, I hope this transmission finds you well. I’ve got news that I know you’re anxious to hear. Lando’s efforts to work his way up within Jabba’s inner circle have paid off. He overheard them talking about an upcoming delivery of a delicate item. The bad news is that by the time Lando was able to confirm this and contact me, Boba Fett had already arrived and we were too late to intercept him. Jabba has Han now and Lando’s seen him. Han is still in carbonite and Jabba’s talking about keeping him as a piece of artwork, which is probably the safest thing for him until we can get him out of there.” Luke held up a hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll wait for you. I don’t think I need to tell you to hurry. Here are the coordinates….”

As Luke listed directions to their rendezvous, Leia watched his image flicker as he said goodbye and the message ended, but she was no longer listening, her mind instead racing ahead. After all this time, all the months filled with nothing but loneliness and the fear that Han may have been lost forever, they now knew exactly where he was. Lando had seen him!

It was all she could do to resist the urge to leave instantly, but there were matters to take care of first, particularly with Rieekan. Although she had no idea when or if she could return, she at least owed him a goodbye.


	7. Chapter 7

Leia pressed the summons key on the door to General Rieekan’s office. There was a long pause and she started to worry he was away, which would only delay her departure even longer. She was about to try paging him over the ship’s comm system when the door slid open and the general stood in the doorway. “Good morning, Princess. What can I do for you?”

“I’m really sorry to bother you, Carlist, but I—” Only then did Leia realize that he had not been alone in his office.

Seated in the chair opposite his desk was Mon Mothma, a former senator from Chandrila whom Leia knew from her brief stint within the Imperial Senate and later their short encounter on Yavin IV, what felt like yet another lifetime ago. Since then, Mothma had moved within the higher ranks of Alliance command. Because of her own more practical role within the rebellion, Leia found few occasions to communicate with the woman let alone work with her directly. The rare times she had, however, had left her with a neutral impression only reinforced now. She was now looking out at Leia and appeared annoyed by the interruption.

Leia leaned in closer to Rieekan, dropping her voice. “He’s been found.”

A successive wave of surprise, happiness, and then dawning realization spread over Rieekan’s weathered face. “I understand.” He turned slightly to glance back at his superior. “I’m sorry, Madame, this will only be a few moments.” He made a move to step out into the corridor with Leia, but the older woman held out a hand to stop him.

“Actually, this is perfect timing, General. I’ve been meaning to speak with both of you. Princess, please join us.”

Leia hesitated for a moment, reluctant to be drawn into any sort of meeting now. However, the invitation was more of an order than a suggestion and habit made her acquiesce. The door slid closed behind her as Rieekan returned to his seat behind his desk. There was one other chair next to Mothma; however, the woman did not invite her to sit, which suited Leia fine. She resisted the urge to fidget, calling up her diplomatic training to assume a regal stance.

“It’s come to my attention that you’ve been using Alliance resources for personal interests.”

The unanticipated accusation and the way it was delivered brought a furious flush to Leia’s cheeks. The last thing she’d anticipated was a dressing-down and it required all her willpower to refrain from blurting out something she would likely regret later.

Rieekan spared Leia the first remark by speaking up in her defense. “Madame Mothma, there must be a simple explanation. Princess Leia has worked tirelessly during her tenure with us. The network of contacts for supplies and intelligence she’s developed over the past few years has been priceless. We all know that sometimes this requires less orthodox methods and following seemingly unrelated paths.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that aspect. However, it’s become clear that her efforts have revolved around one specific unrelated goal, and it’s painfully obvious why. While it may not be contrary to our mission, it is nevertheless a needless diversion and must be addressed. Princess, consider this a warning that our tools and resources are meant solely for Alliance purposes.”

Rieekan spoke up again on her behalf. “If this is about her search for information on the whereabouts of Captain Solo, you must understand how invaluable the smuggler has been to our war efforts. Getting him back is a worthwhile goal. Besides, we never leave a man behind.”

“General, that applies to soldiers within our ranks, something which Captain Solo refused to join. Do not lecture me on his heroics. He chose to remain a mercenary who preferred credits over duty. His name was well known for his exploits against the Death Star, but so was his less savory background. If his criminal past finally caught up with him, that’s none of our concern. He was just one man and did not warrant—”

“He may only be one man,” Riekann cut in, “but he managed to spare many lives when he drew off most of the Imperial fleet during the evacuation of Hoth. Many of us are here today as a testament to this. To dismiss his contributions solely on whether or not he has a formal commission—”

As Leia witnessed this battle of wills between the two, she came to a realization that shook her to the core. There had been a time during her early days in the Senate when Leia had looked upon Mon Mothma as a role model. In this new moment of clarity, however, she saw all those things she had once aspired to be—the cool professional, the aloof politician, the impervious leader who always placed the mission above all else—and she no longer cared for what she saw. Was this what she was destined to become if she stayed now, losing loved one after loved one until there was nothing left but an unsympathetic husk of a woman? Would people just become numbers in a greater calculation of cost and worth?

Leia was savvy enough to spot the fact that Mothma insisted on referring to Han in the past tense; it was a subtle but deliberate tactic to manipulate, and it tipped Leia over the edge.

“There’s no need for this, Carlist,” Leia broke in, for the first time free of any lingering doubt that she was making the right decision. “I’ve come here to announce that I’m leaving.”

There followed a stunned silence before Mon Mothma waved a hand in dismissal, as if the announcement were a bluff. “You can’t leave. We are in a very critical juncture in the war. Every person is needed—”

Indignant now, Leia raised her chin. “Of course I can leave. My presence here has always been voluntary. I hold no more of an official rank within the Alliance than Captain Solo. If you believe that only those with a rank are of value, then you won’t miss me.”

This unanticipated argument caused the rebel leader to take a moment to reconsider her words. She attempted to appeal to Leia’s sense of duty. “Your Highness, I apologize for my tone, but I must stress to you that we are in the middle of very delicate negotiations with several other parties, including the Mon Calamari, that could very possibly swing the war in our favor. There are ominous rumors of another—”

“I’m sure there are,” Leia interrupted, sighing as her anger was washed away by her newfound insight. “There’s always something. But you are absolutely right. Captain Solo is just one man, and I’m just one woman. This war and the Alliance will go on whether or not we’re part of it.” She glanced to her old friend to find a quick and private smile touch Rieekan’s lips as he seemed to recognize and admire this new mature facet within her. She was no longer the child he’d watched grow up, but a mature woman in her own right. Whether or not Bail Organa would have approved, she couldn’t say, but she knew she had Rieekan’s blessings, and that was good enough.

Not pleased to have her words tossed back at her, Mothma resumed the stern appearance of one of the top decision makers within the Alliance. “I warn you, Princess, that you risk endangering the security of the Alliance. If you were to be captured and tortured—”

Leia restrained herself from laughing at this veiled threat, but her eyes did roll. “I’ve had the pleasure of being Lord Vader’s personal guest twice without breaking. I believe he’s moved on to more fertile grounds.”

“Princess,” the elder leader spoke in a more patronizing tone, “I realize that you are a young woman and the emotional attachment you have for this petty smuggler may seem very important to you right now, but I assure you that time and reason will make you realize that there was no future for it. There are far greater things in the balance. Don’t throw away everything we’ve done for the greater good here to chase after a man of his reputation. You will lose all credibility within the Alliance and with me if you do.”

Leia’s anger surged back with this attempt to strong-arm her by belittling Han and her personal feelings for him. How dare she?! She didn’t know them or their history; she didn’t know what they had already risked over and over again for one another. Leia forced herself to draw a long breath before responding in a calm voice.

“I will lose far more if I don’t.” Seeing there was no point in arguing any further, Leia gave a formal bow. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to finish making arrangements.” She turned and triggered the door open, then exited into the corridor without waiting to be excused. While she had no desire to burn bridges, neither could she stand any longer to have threats and insults thrown at her. If this meant that she could not return, she would cope, as always.

Leia marched toward the closest lift to return to her quarters, but paused when she heard the office door slide open again as the general stepped out to follow her. “Princess, just one more moment, please.”

“I’m not changing my mind, Carlist,” she warned.

He closed the distance between them before continuing. “I wouldn’t dream of asking you to. I’m probably about to get a dressing-down of my own, but I wanted you to know that you were absolutely right. Once in a while, we need to be reminded of why we’re fighting this war, including her.”

Leia sighed, only realizing now that she was actually trembling. “Thank you, by the way.”

“My pleasure….” His expression grew more serious. “Can you tell me where you’re going?”

“Tatooine. Jabba has him now and it’s been confirmed in person by Lando.”

“How do you plan to get there?”

Leia was self-aware enough to look a little sheepish. “I’m not sure yet. I was going to hitch a ride on the next scheduled smuggling run and then find passage from there.”

Rieekan shook his head, rejecting the idea out of hand. “Not fast enough and too dangerous for you right now, especially alone. I’m authorizing the use of a Y-wing. That way, you can bring Threepio if need be.”

Leia’s heart threatened to melt at the gesture and she tossed aside professionalism long enough to give him a powerful hug. “Thank you.”

He hugged her back, then held her away from him to direct a paternal look down at her. “This is a loan, Princess. I expect you to return…understand? You let me worry about Mon Mothma.”

She gave a solemn nod. “I will.”


	8. Chapter 8

The landscape was a monotonous mix of yellow sand dunes and dark stony outcroppings. Leia set her Y-wing down on a flat plain of rock and shut down the engines but kept the cockpit’s atmospherics running. Although she’d parked on the lee side of a rocky ridge, the double suns of Tatooine overhead had robbed it of any shade and she could see a river of heat waves undulating along the rock below. The sight made her wince.

Well, at least it’ll be a dry heat.

As she searched for any signs of civilization or people, Leia began to doubt her navigation skills and looked down to double-check her coordinates and confirm she was indeed in the correct location. She guessed there was a possibility that Luke had made a mistake, but that seemed unlikely.

“Oh, Your Highness!” Threepio exclaimed from the navigator’s position behind her. “Something is moving to our right!”

Her head shot up in alarm as she looked toward the nearest pile of rocks. From behind the cover emerged the large, shaggy figure of a Wookiee. He seemed to pause for a moment to confirm the identity of the pilot, then started trotting toward her Y-wing, followed a moment later by a blond man clad all in black. She almost didn’t recognize him.

“Oh, thank the stars! It’s Master Luke and Chewbacca! The last time Artoo and I visited this place, we had the worst adventures and….”

Suddenly awash with happiness to see her friends after all these months, she ignored the droid and rushed through shutting down the rest of the ship’s systems, then triggered open the hatch and lowered the access ladder. The abrupt temperature change from the climate-controlled cockpit to the desiccating heat hit her like a full body blow. She wilted back into the pilot’s seat, a little overwhelmed, and took a long moment to recover. By the time she attempted to move again, Chewie had reached the ship and was barking in excitement. She reached around behind her to pull out the single large kit bag she’d packed and dropped it down to the Wookiee before climbing out onto the ladder. She was still scaling down the steps when she felt the huge Wookiee pull her off the rungs before he swung her around in joy.

Leia laughed at the reunion but quickly began feeling lightheaded from the heat. “Chewie! Chewie! Put me down!”

He obeyed, then hooted at her. «Glad to have you with us, Little Princess.»

“Glad to be here,” she responded.

Luke took the opportunity to step in next and greeted her with a powerful hug. “It’s great to see you again.” With a hint of sardonic humor, he added, “Welcome to my home. Sorry about the heat. You get used to it.”

Leia gave him a dubious look; dressed in the double layers of her Alliance fatigues and a bright orange flight suit, she could already feel sweat trickling down the middle of her back. “Goddess, I’ve missed you two!” She swiped a sleeve across her forehead and blew out her cheeks in a sigh. “It felt like I would never get the call. I thought I’d go crazy.”

“Well, the wait’s over. Let’s get out of the sun and catch up on things.”

Leia nodded in complete agreement, pausing only long enough to reach up and close the cockpit now that Threepio had awkwardly clanked his way down the ladder as well. Chewie picked up her bag and started leading the way back toward the rocks while the rest of them fell in behind.

“I hope you didn’t have any trouble getting away,” Luke said, glancing at her.

“Rieekan was a great help. He arranged for the Y-wing. It would have taken me a lot longer to get here otherwise.” She hesitated saying more, then decided that there was no point in telling him about her encounter with Mon Mothma. There was nothing she could do about it now and it would only be a distraction when they had other priorities now. She could worry about her future with the Alliance after she’d taken care of the present.

As they walked, she noticed a new lightsaber hanging from his belt. She was also getting a better look at the radical difference in his wardrobe; the all-black tunic and pants outfit gave him a far more serious appearance. It seemed to age him, as had his shorter hairstyle. There’d been a time when she might have privately dismissed his talk of becoming a Jedi as boyish pipe dreams, but it was clear now that he really was becoming the Jedi knight he’d aspired to be. She wasn’t sure she approved of the change, but she was proud for his accomplishment and hoped he was happy on his chosen path.

As they made their way around the rocky outcropping, she spotted the entrance to a hidden structure built into the stone. Luke palmed the door open and led the way inside. As she followed through the threshold, she was greeted by a familiar series of whistles and beeps from the squat figure of Artoo-Detoo, who spun around in his own expression of happiness.

“Hi, Artoo. Good to see you, too.”

Chewie headed into a darkened adjoining room with her bag as Luke faced her. “It’ll be tight quarters for a little while, but you can have the bedroom. We’ll sleep out here. Are you hungry?”

“Famished.” The home was rustic but comfortably furnished and surprisingly cool. She kicked off her boots, shed her flight suit, then sank into the nearest chair. “You’ve been staying here?”

As he stepped over to a small alcove that served as a kitchen, his back to her, Luke called out, “On and off. The Falcon and my X-wing are parked in another ravine. Chewie’s been hiding out there most of the time and keeping an eye on them. I’ve been going back and forth to Mos Eisley for supplies and to keep in touch with Lando. We’ve been meeting up in a cantina on staggered days. We missed Fett’s arrival because we weren’t scheduled to meet up again until the next day. If we’d had a bit more notice, we might’ve been able to prevent the transfer. Now things are a bit more complicated.”

From her chair, Leia watched the young man from Tatooine as he assembled a quick meal, still fascinated with his change in appearance. In fact, she had to remind herself now that he was no older than herself. It was as if this were a different man from the one she’d said goodbye to nearly half a standard year ago. “How have you been? I see you’ve found a new lightsaber.”

“I’ve been okay. Ben had a small collection of old Jedi manuscripts and I was able to find instructions on constructing one. I managed to scrounge up the materials between here and in Mos Eisley. It was slow-going and I’ve had a lot of time to study, meditate, and plan.”

“You made it?” she said with a touch of awe.

“I did. It’s tradition.” Finished, Luke returned with several plates of simple finger foods and set them out on the low table in the center of the seating arrangement. He took a seat across from her. “What about you?”

Chewie rejoined them, taking a seat next to Luke and helping himself to food. Watching him, Leia shrugged, not really willing to relive the endless limbo that had been her existence after he’d left. “It hasn’t been easy. I’m just relieved we know where he is now. I was afraid we’d never….” She didn’t finish her sentence.

Leaning against the armrest of her chair, she toyed absently with an earlobe, lost in thought. The possibility of Han spending eternity trapped in that living tomb, not dead but not really alive either, was something she couldn’t live with. At least now there would be closure, one way or the other.

“Don’t worry, Leia. I’ve got a feeling everything will work out in the end. We’ll get him out.”

Coming back to the present, she was reminded again of her strange experiences while on Bespin. What she might have once written off as mystic hyperbole had felt all too real that day. It had been enough to convince her there really was something to it all. “Have you seen this through the Force?”

He gave a small chuckle and shook his head, a glimpse of the old Luke reappearing. “Not exactly, no. The future isn’t written in stone for anybody to just read or see clearly…. Just call it a feeling.”

“Alright,” she responded, trying not to show the disappointment she felt. A part of her was desperate for any sort of guarantee that they would all emerge intact from what they were about to attempt. “Do you have any plans yet? Do you know the layout?”

“Somewhat. When I was a kid, some friends and I explored the fortress on a dare, back when it was still abandoned. It used to be the royal palace of some local bigwig before the planet became part of the Empire. Most of the locals consider it haunted, so hardly anybody noticed when Jabba moved in. Here, Lando drew up a diagram.”

Leia ate and watched as Luke pulled out a sheet of paper with a hand-drawn map of the building. He flattened it out on the low table and continued as his hand moved across the diagram: “It’s a cluster of buildings, but the main one here in the center is the headquarters. I have to assume there are some secret entrances and passages to the sister buildings, but there’s only one main entrance we’re aware of. The main chamber where Jabba holds court is here. This area is living quarters, and these rooms are the kitchen and dining hall, and below here is a huge dungeon with individual cells.”

He tapped a finger on one spot of the map.

“Lando says they’ve got Han on display right here, suspended in a force field near the dais at the head of the courtroom. Jabba’s using him as a decoration and as a warning to others.” Luke shook his head a little, his elbows on his knees as he eyed the layout in thought. “I have some ideas, but I’ll admit this won’t be easy. It was a fortress for a reason, and from what Lando says, Jabba rarely leaves the place now.”

Chewie brandished a large fist. «Maybe if we all go at once and hit them hard.»

“I know you want to, but just bursting in and shooting everything is too risky. If we got split up, it’d be too easy to get trapped inside. Besides, we’d still have to get Han out of there. He’s probably safest staying in carbonite but moving him that way won’t be easy, and we can’t risk the control unit getting damaged in a firefight. If he’s unfrozen first, he probably won’t be in any condition to take care of himself either, and that means one of us will have to help him at the same time.”

Agreeing with his logic, Leia tried to run a few scenarios through in her mind. “Other than offering to simply buy Han outright, I can’t imagine them having a reason to move him while he’s still in carbonite. Is that something we should consider? I’m not sure how we’d ever come up with enough credits, but it would carry the least risk.”

«Jabba isn’t reasonable. This was a personal vendetta,» Chewie growled out.

Luke nodded his head in agreement. “Jabba seems content to keep Han right where he is. It’s not likely he’ll want to change his mind, not after he just paid Fett that crazy bounty.”

Leia sighed and nodded in silence, realizing this would be far more complicated than she’d imagined. So desperate to get Han back, she’d never really thought much about how they’d accomplish it, only that they would.

“Then we’ll have to unfreeze him first and hope he recovers quickly,” Leia stated the only other option.

Luke nodded. “Yes, I think you’re right. There’s not much information on hibernation sickness, though. I’ve read everything you sent me, but it’s impossible to know how he’s been affected. He might even need to be carried, and that pretty much means you, Chewie.”

«It would not be the first time,» Chewie said matter-of-factly.

Luke seemed to consider his words first before venturing on. “I hate to say this, but have either of you considered the possibility that he might not be all right?”

Leia’s heart constricted in pain as she returned Chewbacca’s sorrowful gaze. “Yes, I have. If that happens….”

The Wookiee seemed to be of one mind with her and had the mercy to finish her sentence as he hooted in a low tone. «We have accepted that possibility.»

Luke nodded in quiet acceptance and agreement. “Okay. We need to figure out a way to get you in there, Chewie, so you’re there to help Han. The obvious problem is that Jabba and his gang know you and will be on the lookout.”

Leia revealed a small smile. One of the things she’d done during those long months back with the Rebel Fleet was to come up with a contingency plan in case she needed to carry out her threat of rescuing Han on her own. In fact, she’d had enough time to assemble everything she would need. “An enterprising bounty hunter might hope to receive a reward for bringing in the partner of Captain Solo.”

They both looked at her with curious glances.

“I’ll go in disguised as that bounty hunter, and I’ll walk Chewie in through the front door just the way he is.”

Luke was quiet for a long moment, chewing over her proposal. “It’s got a lot of potential. My main concern, though, is Jabba’s unpredictability. If there’s any possibility that he does executions outside the palace, it may be our solution.”

“Executions?!”

“He’s a crime lord,” Luke reminded her. “He’d have even less incentive to keep any of us alive once Han’s out of carbonite. I’ve heard rumors about what happens to people he’s unhappy with. If they’re true, that might be the best way to get everyone out of the palace.”

She sighed. “When are you due to contact Lando again?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.” He saw her look of disappointment and tried to boost her spirits. “I know we’re all anxious to do this, but we have to remain patient a little longer and be thorough. And we still need to find a disguise for you.”

“I’ve already taken care of that, but I need one more thing. Let me be the contact tomorrow.”

The corner of Luke’s mouth rose and he looked to Chewbacca. “What do you think, Chewie? Are you willing to walk in and be handed over without a fight?”

Chewbacca rocked his head back and forth, shrugged, and said, «It worked on the Death Star.»

“That’s true. Okay, if Lando confirms my suspicion, we’ll start with you and Leia going in first, then Leia getting Han out of that carbonite as soon as she can. Then I’ll come in.”

Leia did a double-take, not sure she’d heard him right. Chewie looked surprised, too. “How do you plan to do that?”

“I’ve decided to send Threepio and Artoo with a message to try and reason with Jabba. I’ll introduce myself as a Jedi knight and offer a bargain for Han and Chewie’s release. We’ll still try to do this peacefully.”

Taken aback by his announcement, Leia was at a loss. “But…those are a lot of ‘ifs’. And we’d be giving up the element of surprise, the one thing in our favor. He’s also not going to take you seriously about being a Jedi. Most of the universe believes they’re long extinct.” She saw Luke flinch on that last point and tried to cushion her words. “I’m sorry, Luke, but it’s the truth.”

His disaster of a rescue attempt on Bespin came readily to mind. She didn’t voice the private opinion that he wasn’t exactly a Jedi yet; he’d admitted as much to her that his training had been interrupted when he’d rushed to Cloud City. A change of wardrobe and a new lightsaber wouldn’t be enough.

“I can’t explain why we need to do it this way, Leia. It’s just…a feeling. You’ll have to trust me on this. Don’t worry.”

“Don’t worry,” she echoed, unable to hide her skepticism. Telling her not to worry was like telling her not to think about a pink Bantha—once the idea was planted, the simple act of trying to forget it kept it alive. She believed in simplicity and there was just too much potential for complications. “All I ever do these days is worry.”

Luke offered his best reassuring smile. “Trust me. I’ve got a good feeling about this.”


	9. Chapter 9

Mos Eisley was the main spaceport in their hemisphere of Tatooine, and was thus a relative metropolis for such a backwater planet. There was a moderate level of traffic both from the spaceport and in the surrounding streets, everyone going about their diverse business in the city. No one paid any attention to the diminutive and nondescript woman dressed in the utilitarian garb of a rural moisture farmer, the wide-brim of her hat pulled down to shield her eyes from the bright twin suns. She made her way along a backstreet before pausing at the entrance to an underground establishment. Loud music and questionable odors arose from the dim entrance.

Leia double-checked the address, glanced at the chrono around her wrist, then steeled herself and stepped inside. A short flight of stone steps led down into a cramped and smoky cantina. The bar dominated the center of the room and booths lined the walls surrounding it. There was an impressive mix of beings from every corner of the galaxy spread throughout the cantina, most of them too occupied or already deep into their chosen intoxicants to pay her any mind as she paused to search for a recognizable face. Luke had given her a description of Lando’s disguise, and she spotted him standing at the bar, foot up on a step. He held a glass, his head lowered as he contemplated his drink. There was an open spot next to him and she moved up to stand beside him. She signaled to the barkeep. “Double Corellian whiskey,” she ordered.

Until then, the man next to her had not taken any notice, but the prearranged password made him glance up. To his credit, he did not react as recognition dawned. He only made a single nod of neighborliness and looked back down to his drink. “Everything okay?” he asked in a low tone, just loud enough to be heard over the recorded music in the background.

A glass was placed in front of her. She watched as the amber liquid was poured, then sipped and set it back down. It burned down her throat and made her suck in a breath. “Yes. I came because I needed some things. Anything new?”

“Yeah. Boba Fett didn’t leave after delivering Han. I get the feeling Jabba’s anticipating trouble and he’s keeping Fett on as a hired gun.”

Leia absorbed this news as she took another sip. The warmth as the alcohol went down reminded her of an evening on their long trek to Bespin, when Han had broken his usual rule about drinking while in flight and brought out a bottle of his favorite whiskey. She could still recall the taste of it on his sensuous lips, so intoxicating….

“When do you plan to move?” he prompted.

She snapped back to the present and answered, “Tomorrow.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Leia was tempted to drink again, but she already felt a low buzz spread through her body and wanted to stay clearheaded. Instead, she toyed with the glass. “We need to know how Jabba deals with captives he executes. Does he do it there or take them somewhere else?”

Lando looked up again at this as he studied her for a moment in an attempt to fathom her question.

“Two ways, mainly. He’s got a ‘pet’ Rancor beast in the dungeon that he sometimes tosses people to when he’s displeased and impatient. On special occasions, he drags everybody out to some place called the Dune Sea. It usually depends on if he wants it quick or slow. He likes a spectacle.”

There was clear disgust in his voice, evidence that he’d probably witnessed this sort of spectacle a few times during his undercover work.

“We need Jabba to take us outside the palace. Luke’s got a pretty elaborate plan, but it means we need you to just hang back and make a move when we give you a signal.”

“Understood.”

“Any questions?”

“A crate full of them, but I get the feeling Luke’s not sharing everything he knows.”

“You too?” A sardonic smile touched her lips. “Just be ready for anything.”

“Madame, that’s the motto I live by. Best of luck.” He reached into a pocket, pulled out a handful of loose credits, and tossed enough onto the bar to cover them both. He nodded a curt goodbye and headed for the exit.

Leia waited a reasonable amount of time, then changed her mind about the drink and downed the rest in one swallow in the hopes it would dull her nagging doubts. She’d been in too many close calls to believe anymore that things ever went according to plan.


	10. Chapter 10

The deadline had come and passed. Threepio and Artoo had been sent out at daybreak to deliver Luke’s proposal to Jabba the Hutt, but neither had they returned nor had any return message been received. While Leia wasn’t surprised by this, Luke did seem a little disappointed as he agreed it was time to launch the second phase of their plan. It was the following morning that found Leia and Chewbacca hidden behind a rocky outcropping, out of view from the looming palace structures in the distance.

“All set?” Leia asked as she made a final adjustment to her gloves before looking at Chewbacca. Her layered outfit was made of heavy, rough cloth that already felt suffocating in the heat of the afternoon. She did not look forward to wearing the helmet for an indeterminable amount of time, but it was a necessary element to hide her identity and mask her voice.

Chewbacca barked an affirmative, then stepped around behind her to help adjust the rebreathing unit strapped to her back so that it rode more comfortably on her shoulders.

“Thanks, Chewie. I’m apologizing now if I hurt you, but you know we’ve got to make this look realistic. I’ll do my best to keep it to a minimum.”

The Wookiee shook his head and tapped his massive chest, offering a blanket pardon in advance. «We’re doing this for Han.»

“I know—that’s what I keep telling myself.” She took a deep breath to rally her courage. “All right, let’s go.”

She hoisted the helmet and pulled it down over her head, fitting it onto the collar of the outfit until it sealed tight. Although the suit was not air conditioned, the gentle flow of air nonetheless had a cooling effect on her face. What she hadn’t anticipated, however, was the sound the rebreather made. It instantly reminded her of Darth Vader’s breathing unit and a shudder ran through her entire body; the mere thought that she now had something remotely in common with Vader revolted her. Reminding herself that this was for Han, she shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind.

She unhooked a pair of binders from her utility belt and fastened them around Chewie’s outstretched wrists. Done with that, she picked up the tether hanging from the stun collar fastened around the Wookiee’s neck. Finally, she turned to her weapon of choice, a combination pike, vibroaxe, and blaster that stood as tall as Chewbacca. It was leaning against the wall of rock at her side. She grasped and hefted it in her free hand. “I sure hope this works.” Her voice through the vocoder of the helmet sounded metallic and without emotion.

They set out, walking down the stony path that led to the main entrance of the massive circular building. She assumed they were already being monitored before they reached the huge, sturdy gate. She was correct as the gate began to creak upward upon their approach. As the gate lifted higher, she saw several brutish well-armed Gamorrean guards blocking her way.

A tall male Twi’lek with red eyes and tentacles that draped around his shoulders stepped out from the dark shadows and stood between them, eyeing her with interest. “You have captured the mighty Chewbacca? What is your name?”

Rather than speaking in Core Standard, the most common language used throughout the Empire, he had questioned her in an inflected version of Primot. It was a language more commonly found along the Outer Rim and within the underground and criminal networks of the Empire. While she could understand him (her work for the Alliance had often required her to negotiate for contraband and transport within those realms), her speaking skills were spotty and she too often relied on Threepio for translation. She formulated her words carefully. “I am Boussh. I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee’s head.”

Excited now, the Twi’lek debated his actions a moment before making a sudden wave of his hand, pointing into the dim interior. “I am Bib Fortuna. Follow me.”

Chewie started making a good show of resistance. He howled in rage and pulled on the lead. While she knew she had no other choice and that he would understand, she nonetheless felt sick to her stomach as she hit the stud on the end of her lead. A jolt of electricity shot through the collar around his neck. The Wookiee staggered and let out a choked gasp that lapsed into a pitiful keen, but he ceased any more resistance.

She followed the loping stride of the henchman as he led them down a long, wide corridor into the bowels of the fortress. Arched passages lined the hall and she began to understand what Luke had meant by the dangers of getting trapped inside this place—it would be almost impossible to fight their way past all these protected points if the alert were sounded. Her bad feeling bumped up a notch but it was too late now; they were committed.

They arrived at one of the last archways, where Fortuna stopped and turned back to her. “Wait here.” He disappeared from view down a curved flight of steps.

As the minutes passed, Leia occasionally tugged on the tether and Chewie howled for the benefit of the guards that had followed her. Things were taking too long and she began to suspect the Hutt was making her wait on purpose. Deciding to give her charade more gravitas, she started pushing the Wookiee toward the entrance. He overreacted again as he howled in protest as if this was the last place he wanted to go, which probably wasn’t much of a stretch for him. The guards behind her scuffled toward her as their grunts of warning echoed in the archway. As the commotion grew, it drew a new flunky from the level below. He ran up the steps toward them in an attempt to block their passage. “Stop! You can’t—”

“Out of my way!” She brought her lance around and fired the blaster, catching him a glancing blow on his arm. He staggered back down the steps and fell the rest of the way to the first landing. She followed, pulling Chewbacca down behind her. As they emerged from the stairway and stepped into the main court floor, she did a quick scan of the room.

It was more of a drug den than any kind of court the princess had been in. “Palace” was too generous term to describe the squalor. The large room was mostly dark, with just a shaft of natural light coming from a small skylight above. There had to be well over twenty beings from every end of the galaxy that filled the dank, odor-filled chamber. Suddenly grateful for her rebreathing unit, Leia continued assessing the room. Han had often described Jabba as a big ugly slug, but she’d never realized he meant it literally; she was repulsed by his bloated and decadent appearance. He was laid out on a massive stone dais at the opposite end of the room from her. She spotted many more guards, all other manner of underworld courtesans, and Boba Fett, who stood off to the side, observing in an alert but neutral stance.

And then she spotted it—the goal of their long quest. Displayed within a side alcove, bathed in red light, the precious block of carbonite was just as it still appeared in her nightmares. She wanted nothing more than to run to it, but she shoved the urge back with supreme will. Now was not the time.

“I have come for the bounty on this Wookiee,” she announced again.

Peeking around from behind the Hutt to investigate the cause of all the commotion, the golden features of Threepio reacted in surprise. “Oh, Chewbacca!”

Anything but fearful at this intrusion, Jabba appeared impressed. “At last we have the mighty Chewbacca.” He switched to another language that Leia didn’t recognize.

Threepio emerged from behind the dais, stumbling in his eagerness to please. She’d been a politician long enough to recognize this was a ploy by the Hutt to maintain an upper hand. “Yes, I am here, Your Worshipfulness.” Stepping around to stand at attention before Jabba, Threepio prompted, “Yes?”

Jabba started grunting out a string of words in a deep, sloppy voice, then waited as Threepio translated. “The illustrious Jabba bids you welcome and will gladly pay you the reward of twenty-five thousand.”

She rejected the offer without hesitation. “I want fifty-thousand. No less.”

Threepio turned back to the Hutt and explained her response.

Jabba let out a sudden, furious bellow at her nerve. He took it out on the messenger with the swing of a fat arm that swatted Threepio off the platform. The droid fell out of sight with a clatter, and Jabba switched back to Primot long enough to curse the droid out.

Threepio reemerged, covered in whatever food had resided on the trays he’d crashed into. “Oh, what did I say?!”

Jabba began to talk once more, this time in a taunting fashion. Threepio translated again. “The mighty Jabba asks why he must pay fifty-thousand.”

Not as optimistic as Luke, Leia had anticipated this might happen—that Jabba would try to call her bluff or not honor any bounty agreement. She brought out a metal spheroid from one of her pockets and held it out for all to see. “Because I’m holding a thermal detonator.” Before anyone could react, she triggered the initiation sequence on the weapon and the sudden high-pitched sound could be heard throughout the hushed room as red lights began to flash on it.

Leia felt Chewie flinch at her side, his shock evident—this hadn’t been part of their discussed plan. Translation was unnecessary as panic had broken out and the denizens of the room scrambled away, not that it would do them any good if the device detonated; the entire compound would vaporize with the explosion. Boba Fett had his blaster rifle trained on her in an instant but was wise enough not to fire.

Jabba started to laugh, a series of chuckles that rippled through his body. He didn’t bother with Threepio this time but spoke in Primot. “This bounty hunter is my kind of scum…fearless and inventive.” Then he switched back again, forcing Threepio to translate once more, clearly enjoying the pretense of protocol.

“Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five, and I do suggest you take it,” the droid added his own editorial advice.

Leia allowed the tension to grow for a moment, then agreed with a simple “Yes” as she thumbed the switch off on the nuclear weapon.

“He agrees!” Threepio rejoiced as a wave of relieved shouts arose from the crowd. Music from a live band off to the side started up with a festive tune as the crowd made a concerted effort to lift their own spirits after the standoff.

Leia handed over the tether and watched as guards wrestled Chewbacca away, his howls of protest at their rougher treatment genuine this time. Alone now in this room of criminals, she concentrated on remaining cool and alert. She scanned the room but saw no sign of Lando; she wondered for a moment where he was or if his identity had been compromised.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the tentacled henchman Bib Fortuna sidled up beside her. “Well played, bounty hunter.”

“When can I expect payment?” she asked before Fortuna slunk off again, not answering her. It took all of her willpower to resist looking over in the direction of the alcove where Han Solo was ensconced. The last thing she wanted to do was appear too interested in the display. She was right to feel this way as she looked over in the direction of Fett once more, who still watched her. His weapon was lowered but his attention had not wavered. He nodded a silent acknowledgment, which she returned, one professional to another.


	11. Chapter 11

As the evening hours wore on, Leia did her best to mingle only as much as necessary, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could reasonably remain without beginning to look suspicious. As the party broke up and the denizens of Jabba’s court began to disperse to their private quarters or corners, she began to worry about this dilemma when Threepio approached her.

“Excuse me, but his most illustrious Jabba the Hutt has sent me to offer you accommodations for the night, as he is very grateful for your capture of the mighty Chewbacca.”

Relief washed over her and she nodded. “I accept.”

“If you will, I shall escort you to your room.”

Leia gave a curt nod and followed him up the stairs and back into the wide corridor, now even darker with the main gate closed. An insufficient amount of artificial light came from the smattering of glow panels. This could be very much to her advantage later, she noted.

They arrived at a solid metal door down an adjoining hallway, and Threepio touched the single-button keypad to slide the door open. “Please enjoy your stay.”

As Leia walked into the room, the last thing she was concerned with were the amenities of her host. She only wanted a safe place to rest unseen until the palace had gone quiet for the night. Time slowed to a crawl as she sat down to wait. It was difficult to listen for sounds of activity with the helmet on, but she dared not take it off in case there were any sort of intrusion. There was little to do but mull over what she’d already seen and done, and worry over elements out of her control. The image of Han still in carbonite had rebranded itself on her psyche.

Another standard hour passed before Leia stood before her door and listened as best she could for any sort of sound coming from outside. There was complete silence in the hallway. Her heartbeat picked up speed now that the time had finally come. She reached up to open the door. It slid aside with a soft hiss and she waited for a moment, again listening and waiting for any possible reaction. When nothing happened, she took a step out into the hallway and stared down the dark passage. There was no movement.

She silently made her way to the end of the hallway and, careful to remain in the shadows, peered out into the wide foyer. There was a single guard at the far end by the entrance gate, asleep at his post. Emboldened now, she strode across the corridor and ducked into the darker shadows of the archway that led down to the main chamber where Jabba held court. She paused there and listened for any whisper or clink that might indicate someone was still down there. She slowly worked her way down the steps and around the bend until she arrived on the first landing, where she stopped to stand in the shadows and observe the wider room below. Jabba’s dais was hidden behind a drawn curtain, the rest of the chamber empty. She finally dared to look over to the side alcove that was her destination. The soft red glow from the accent lights tinted the vicinity.

For the briefest of moments, with Han finally in sight, she let her concentration slip; lacking her full range of peripheral vision, she failed to notice a set of wind chimes hanging above the top step, and as she crossed the landing, she walked headfirst into them. They set off a jangling tinkle that made her duck in fear as her heart skipped a beat. Too late she realized what she’d done and reached up to silence them. Furious, she berated herself for not paying attention to what she was doing—they were not out of this yet.

Leia waited on the landing in case she’d set off an alarm, but nothing stirred. She stepped down onto the main floor and walked with purpose toward the archway of the alcove, but then suddenly slowed again, something making her hesitate. That sixth sense, that one she’d so often trusted in the past, tingled in her mind, but she was so close now. She’d spent half a year agonizing over whether or not they would ever find him, whether she would ever get this chance. She told herself that now was no time to be paranoid. Clenching her fists, she crossed the rest of the way to reach the side of the carbonite slab and relative safety of the shadows beside it. She looked around again but failed to spot any movement.

Mentally prepared for what might happen next, Leia reached up to the controls of the force field holding the carbonite slab aloft. It began to lower with a quiet hum, but then the block landed and fell back to lean against the wall with a loud, reverberating clang. The sound echoed throughout the chamber and no doubt into the main foyer. Trying not to panic, she knew now that she was beyond the point of no return.

Lando had explained to her long ago about how to activate the defreezing controls and she’d memorized the sequence. She swiftly turned them on and then stepped back, unable to look away from the tortured features of the man trapped inside. Horrific memories flooded back from the first time she’d seen that living death mask. All her hopes and fears were coalesced now in this moment.

To her horror, however, a loud whine began to emit from the unit. Lando had failed to mention the noise it would make! She tore her gaze away to glance over her shoulder in fear and expectation of someone coming to investigate. Was it possible that despite all the noise she’d made, nobody had heard? Maybe the private quarters were far enough away and their occupants too intoxicated to notice. She realized now she’d made a horrible mistake in not bringing her blaster pike with her.

She turned back to watch as the thin layer of carbonite encasing Han began to evaporate as it melted away. The skin of his face and hands was exposed first. Fingers long frozen into a permanent curl began to relax from their static position. Too fascinated by the sight of his face in the flesh once again, she stood riveted to the spot as his body, now freed from the carbonite that held him upright, doubled forward and collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud.

Mortified, she dropped to her knees beside him. For an eternal moment of agony, she watched for any sign of life from the still figure. Then she spotted it—the slight movement of his chest, a twitch of the hand stretched out by his head. Daring to breathe again as well, she reached down with both hands to grip his sides and wrestled to lift his dead weight up in order to turn him over.

Han began trembling like a newborn as his brain and body struggled to get back into sync with one another. Despite all this, however, he already seemed to have enough presence of mind to pull away from the unknown hands that manhandled him into a semi-reclined position.

“Just relax for a moment. You’re free of the carbonite.” Leia spoke, her voice still disguised and sounding loud and alien to her own ears. She could only imagine how foreign and unsympathetic it must have sounded to him.

He stopped struggling, although the trembling and spasmodic twitches did not.

“You have hibernation sickness,” she continued to inform him in the hope he would relax more. They really didn’t have much time and she had to start working on getting him out of there.

His hand came up to touch his own face in a tentative exploration and then dropped back down. “I can’t see,” he croaked, desperation in his tone.

Something deep within Leia sang out in joy to hear his voice again, no matter how tremulous. Her hope soared. “Your eyesight will return in time,” she tried to reassure him.

“Where am I?”

“Jabba’s palace.”

With uncoordinated limbs, he tried to prop himself up better, but in doing so, his hand brushed against her helmet. He stopped in shock as the hand went back to grasp the front of her mask. His expression shifted to a guarded one as he let his hand drop again. “Who are you?”

Realizing now that he would never cooperate in this place so long as he believed he was in the hands of Jabba, she made a decision on the spot and reached up to remove her helmet. Free of the mask at long last, she feasted her eyes on him and rested a hand on his chest. His strong heartbeat caused a swell of emotions within her. “Someone who loves you.”

“Leia!”

That was all the confirmation she needed. Everything—all she had been through, all she had sacrificed, and whatever might happen next—all of it had been worth it to hear him say her name like that.

 

**The End**


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